Chapter 57 – Moving Labyrinth: Strategy ①

※※※※

After searching for a compromise, this is how things turned out…

What became of me, tied up as I was?

It’s best if I forget.

I cannot write about it here.

But at least, I must say that I put up quite a resistance.

Thanks to that, I eventually managed to extract a concession from Selma.

But a concession is still just a concession.

As a result, it ended up going by mouth…

This is not betrayal.

Yes, it’s something that simply couldn’t be helped.

I kept myself calm by telling myself that.

Whether Selma truly understood what a heart is, I don’t know.

Anyway, feel free to laugh at me.

Go ahead and curse me.

Call me a hopeless man, if you like.

※※※※

Ati, having just returned from the bath, kept blinking rapidly.

Perhaps it was because Selma was wiping her mouth with a napkin while I sat on the bed with a dejected look.

“Um…”

“Hmm?”

Forcing on a calm smile, I asked,

“Is something the matter?”

“No, nothing.”

There was nothing more to say.

“…Why is Selma wiping her mouth?”

“…Madam.”

“Yes?”

“Well, my mouth got a bit dirty.”

“Dirty? How…?”

“It seems that, startled by the rain, some strange insects got all riled up…”

“Strange insects…?”

“Yes. And as a result, my mouth ended up soiled.”

“Could it be that some flying insect got into my mouth?”

“…Yes, something like that. …Madam, please be careful of those strange insects—they can appear at any time.”

“If such insects show up, I’ll tear them apart and feed them to Echidna.”

“I see…”

It appears that Selma’s explanation has convinced you.

A gentle warmth began to thaw the chill along my spine.

No more.

Just as Selma said, this incident is nothing more than an accident.

So it’s best to pretend it never happened.

“Harold-sama…”

Ati quietly came to sit beside me.

For the moment, I pulled her close and began to fondle her.

Now that I think about it, I’ve been intimate with Ati without any contraception…

Perhaps, before long, a baby might result?

When I asked her about it:

“Yes… it seems that dark elves are said to have difficulty conceiving with other races.”

“Difficulty conceiving, you say…”

“Yes. Conception does happen—it’s just that it happens less easily.”

“So, what about our child?”

“If you continue to bestow your affection as you have before, then maybe one day it will happen…”

My heart raced.

After all, it’s in a man’s nature to want a child with the girl he loves.

I am no exception.

I might have thought differently before, but since meeting Ati I’ve been utterly smitten with her.

So if you ask whether I want one, I can say without a doubt that I do.

“If it happens, will it be cute like Ati?”

“No, surely it’ll be handsome like Harold-sama…”

Even though it hasn’t happened yet, we were already talking about it.

And as the conversation went on, a small worry crept in:

What if I conceive a child before reaching our destination in the southwestern part of the southern continent?

If that happens, there’ll be a period when I can’t move, and our journey might be extended by years.

When that time comes—well, that’s another matter—but it’s clear that money will be absolutely necessary.

I can tell that even now.

Come to think of it, the moving labyrinth—about which we haven’t yet decided what to do—is said to hold quite valuable treasure despite its difficulty.

Considering the prospect of a child, it might be wise to have a little more financial leeway.

I wouldn’t want to be scrambling once it happens.

After weighing everything, I made up my mind.

※※※※

The weather the next day was fine.

As always, autumn weather is changeable.

The crisp, dry air and the light of the rising sun painted the world in color.

After leaving the lodging, we first headed to a weapons shop and bought an iron spear that was on clearance.

It cost roughly 20,000 Du.

I thought, isn’t that a bit high for a clearance sale…? But the shopkeeper, with a troubled look, said, “Because of the town of Sleep, there have been fewer passersby recently. It just has to be that price.”

When I was told about those unfortunate circumstances, I had nothing to say in return…

Well, I decided to regard it as a necessary expense.

And now, here we are—

standing before the moving labyrinth.

“Shall we proceed with the strategy…?”

Ati asked, and I nodded.

“I’d like to increase our funds a bit more,” I replied.

Thinking of the future, I want to boost our funds—no need for a huge sum, just enough while we still can.

That was the decision I made.

“Understood. Then I shall assist you with all my might.”

“If it is what Master has decided, then I too shall accompany you.”

Thus, our plunge was set, and we began to search for the entrance.

Since Ati had previous experience, I had her look for the labyrinth’s entrance.

“Leave it to me.”

Ati smiled confidently as she began to push each of the many bricks forming the giant statue.

Then one brick around the midsection slid back easily.

Gogogogo, thud, thud.

Suddenly, the surrounding bricks began to stir, forming an entrance.

What an ingenious mechanism…

“Then, let’s enter.”

In any case, the entrance was found.

All that remained was to clear the labyrinth.

So, we promptly stepped into the labyrinth—

—and at that moment,

at the edge of my vision, I caught sight of the drenched black-hooded girl.

She was sitting in the very center of the ruined house with an expression of utter despair.

…If we manage to obtain some treasure, perhaps when parting ways I could discreetly share a little with her—without revealing that it was me.

I never expected her expression to remain so gloomy all the time.

Moreover, perhaps because her cheeks were already somewhat sunken, she looked rather frightening.

My resolve not to get further involved remained unchanged.

But, since I was going to enter the labyrinth anyway, if I could help her ever so slightly without anyone noticing, why not?

※※※※

Inside the labyrinth, it was pitch dark.

I couldn’t see a thing.

I thought there would be some kind of “labyrinth light”… and as I stepped in, a candle on a wall sconce was lit.

I see.

It seems that there’s an effect where lights are turned on like this—another form of labyrinth light, perhaps.

…I must stay alert so as not to be caught off guard.